Lichtlaerm Audio makes The Key and the Gate, a compact noise gate pedal the maker describes as "a hyper-responsive, envelope-controlled noise gate." It is fully analog, runs on a standard 9V center negative supply, and is true bypass. What sets it apart from most small gates is a side-mounted KEY input and output for side-chaining: in Keyed Mode, "The gate listens to the clean signal, not the noisy aftermath," so a clean signal can gate a distorted, noisy path1.
Two modes of operation
The pedal runs in one of two modes, Standard Mode and Keyed Mode1. Standard Mode is the familiar arrangement: the gate listens to the signal coming through the pedal and closes when you stop playing. Keyed Mode uses the side-mounted KEY input and output, letting the clean signal gate the distorted path1. That matters for high-gain players, because a gate placed after a distortion pedal hears a mix of playing and noise; feeding it the clean signal instead means the gate reacts to your picking, not to the fuzz behind it.
Controls
There is one knob. The single Threshold control sets the level at which the gate opens and closes. Lichtlaerm Audio puts it plainly: "Dial in the threshold and you're done, no menus, no hidden settings"1. Guitar Pedal X's May 2025 roundup of compact noise gates likewise lists the controls as simply "Controls - Threshold."3
The maker describes the gating action as transparent and musical, with no sputter or false cuts, tracking from staccato riffing to long leads: "No sputter. No false cuts. Just pure signal when you play, and total silence when you don't."1
The KEY input
The KEY input is where the pedal goes beyond a basic gate. Lichtlaerm Audio says it accepts three kinds of source1:
- an LFO, for "bizarre rhythmic gating or tremolo-like pulses"
- an external audio source, for sidechaining
- a drum track, for pump effects
That makes it usable as a creative tool as well as a cleanup pedal: a sequenced or drum-triggered source can open and close the gate rhythmically, in the manner of keyed gating in studio production1.
How it compares
Lichtlaerm Audio describes the Key and the Gate as "a hyper-responsive, envelope-controlled noise gate" whose gating is transparent and musical, with "No sputter. No false cuts. Just pure signal when you play, and total silence when you don't," tracking everything from staccato riffing to long leads. It is priced at €179.00 EUR including EU VAT/Mwst., plus shipping, and like all Lichtlaerm pedals it is made to order, with a production time of 14 to 20 days. It draws 45mA12.
The pedal is built to order. Lichtlaerm Audio states that all pedals "may take 14-20 days for production" before they ship1.
Videos
Milian Malivuk Music
Petar Makes Noise
The Interface
Questions
Is the Lichtlaerm Audio The Key and the Gate true bypass?
Yes. Lichtlaerm Audio lists the pedal as true bypass, and the switching uses the company's Smart Relay technology. When the pedal is off, your guitar signal passes through without the gate circuit in the path.
Is The Key and the Gate analog or digital?
It is fully analog. Lichtlaerm Audio describes it as a hyper-responsive, envelope-controlled noise gate built with fully analog circuitry, with a single threshold knob rather than presets or menus.
What does the KEY input do on The Key and the Gate?
The KEY input and output sit on the side of the pedal and carry the side-chain signal. In Keyed Mode the gate listens to a clean signal rather than the noisy aftermath of your distorted path, so the gate triggers on your playing instead of on the noise itself.
Can The Key and the Gate be triggered by a drum track or an LFO?
Yes. Lichtlaerm Audio says the KEY input accepts an LFO for rhythmic gating or tremolo-like pulses, an external audio source for sidechaining, or a drum track for pump effects.
How long does it take to get a Key and the Gate?
Lichtlaerm Audio builds pedals to order. The maker states that all pedals are made to order and may take 14 to 20 days for production, so allow that time before shipping.
What power supply does The Key and the Gate need?
A standard 9V center negative power supply. Lichtlaerm Audio lists a current draw of 45mA, so a normal pedalboard supply output handles it.
Sources (3)
- Lichtlaerm Audio The Key & The Gate, Lichtlaerm Audio
- The Key and The Gate by Lichtlaerm Audio, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-05-26